International Business and the Eclectic Paradigm: Developing the Oli Framework

The eclectic paradigm has arguably become the dominant theoretical basis in the study of FDI, multinational corporations and internationalisation over the last two decades. The contributions to this volume evaluate the eclectic paradigm in the global economy and its validity as a theoretical basis to understand developments such as economic globalization and the subsequent growth of global and alliance capitalism.

The eclectic paradigm has become the dominant theoretical basis in the study of international business, multinational corporations and internationalization over the last two decades. However, developments such as economic globalization and the subsequent growth of global and alliance capitalism have fundamentally affected the way in which MNC activities are undertaken and organized. The contributions to this volume evaluate the eclectic paradigm in the global economy and its validity as a theoretical basis to understand these developments. Contributions by leading scholars-incluing John Dunning, Stephen Gusinger, John Cantwell, Terutomo Ozawa, Gabriel Benito, Lars Oxelheim, Timothy Devinney and Anoop Madhok-examine the legacy of the eclectic paradigm.

This book systematically evaluates how the eclectic paradigm has survived the test of time, from a wide variety of perspectives. Contributors discuss whether and how the Ownership-Location-Internationalization (OLI) framework continues to be applicable to the perspective of their own particular analytical concerns. Has the explanatory usefulness of the paradigm diminished? To what extent is it a useful tool from the perspective of, for instance, trade theory, finance, evolutionary economics, resource based theory or strategic management? Can it be utilized to explain new developments in international business and economics? Do these require new ideas and concepts to be integrated within the eclectic paradigm? What are the new challenges to which international business theorizing must respond? This volume includes contributions from leading scholars from a variety of perspectives, disciplines and subject areas in international business, and represents the state-of-the-art in international business theory.

John Cantwell is Professor of International Business at Rutgers University, USA (from 2002), while on leave of absence as Professor of International Economics at the University of Reading, UK. His main research areas are the analysis of corporate technological change and international business. He is the author of Technological Innovation and Multinational Corporations (1989). Rajneesh Narula is Professor at the Department of International Economics and Management (INT) at the Copenhagen Business School, and at the Centre for Technology, Innovation and Culture (TIK), University of Oslo.